Dewdrops in the Garden | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 12, 1994 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 67:58 | |||
Label | Elektra | |||
Producer | Deee-Lite | |||
Deee-Lite chronology | ||||
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Singles from Dewdrops in the Garden | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Baltimore Sun | (favourable) [2] |
Cash Box | (favourable) [3] |
Christgau's Consumer Guide | ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | B− [5] |
The Guardian | (favourable) [6] |
Knoxville News Sentinel | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Music & Media | (favourable) [8] |
People | (favourable) [9] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Slant Magazine | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Dewdrops in the Garden is the third and final studio album by American dance music band Deee-Lite, released in August 1994 via Elektra Records. The album saw the group move away from the overtly political lyrical content of the previous album, shifting into themes of dance and intimacy with a heavier lean into psychedelic music.
At the time of the release of Dewdrops in the Garden, Lady Kier had compared it to Infinity Within , saying:
During the Gulf War and Bush years we felt it was important to use the platform we had in the media responsibly. Our new album is more about personal politics rather than global. We're going back to our original concept. People have enough problems, they don't need to hear it in music. Just making uplifting music is a political statement in itself. We want to strengthen their spirit on the dance floor so they can diffuse the dissatisfaction from daily global destruction. [12]
The album drew inspiration from Lady Kier's travels to the Hopi ruins in the Painted Desert and pyramids in Yucatán and Dmitry's travels to the Grand Canyon and Joshua Tree. The inspiration was clear in Lady Kier's description of the track "Music Selector is the Soul Reflector":
It is about the love of the collective dancefloor consciousness. The DJ is like the guru, the booth is the altar, the dancefloor is the sacred ground we worship on. [13]
Most of the work on Dewdrops in the Garden was done by Super DJ Dmitry and Lady Miss Kier joined by Kansan producer Ani Schempf (DJ Ani, also known as DJ On-E and DJ Ani Quinn). Towa Tei had left the band to do some work on Japanese pop star Nokko's album and his own debut solo album Future Listening! , and he was said to be back for the band's fourth album, which was never made. Even through his absence, Tei contributed various production to the tracks "Call Me", "Party Happening People", "DMT (Dance Music Trance)", and the "Funky Chunky Bonus Beats" portion of "What is This Music?".
Shortly after the album's release, a companion album titled Dewdrops in the Remix containing four remixes of "Picnic in the Summertime," four mixes of "Bring Me Your Love," and six mixes of "Call Me" was released in Japan. "Bring Me Your Love" and "Call Me" became their last two number-one hits on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
All tracks written by Deee-Lite.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Say Ahhh…" | 4:10 |
2. | "Mind Melt" | 0:33 |
3. | "Bittersweet Loving" | 3:42 |
4. | "River of Freedom" | 4:06 |
5. | "Somebody" | 3:30 |
6. | "When You Told Me You Loved Me" | 3:00 |
7. | "Stay in Bed, Forget the Rest" | 3:10 |
8. | "Call Me" | 3:50 |
9. | "Music Selector is the Soul Reflector" | 4:30 |
10. | "Sampladelic" | 0:47 |
11. | "Bring Me Your Love" | 3:40 |
12. | "Picnic in the Summertime" | 3:32 |
13. | "Apple Juice Kissing" | 3:13 |
14. | "Party Happening People" | 4:00 |
15. | "DMT (Dance Music Trance)" | 4:27 |
16. | "What is This Music?"
| 17:50 |
Chart (1994) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard 200 [14] | 127 |
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